


Up in Smoke

by LissaBear



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-13 07:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4513794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LissaBear/pseuds/LissaBear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Asami is kind judgemental and ableist and her girlfriend calls her on it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Up in Smoke

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to expand one of my story seeds, let's see how it turns out! :P
> 
> I might continue the ending later, and expand on their conversation, we'll see if it speaks to me.

Korra stared out over the docks of republic city as the sunset painted the scene with streaks of red and orange, the shadows lengthening as night closed in. She watched the crews that came and went, as countless yuans worth of cargo changed hands, and as shady deals went in down in quiet, dark corners, a joint gently smoldering in her hand. Korra sighed and took another deep pull, savoring the calm that filled her mind, sighing as her often abused muscles began to relax as the fireweed kicked in. This is why she isn't out chasing the people in the dark corners, both because she is too worn out from a long day being in the public spotlight, but more importantly because she'd obtained said "illegal substance" from a man in one of those shady corners not long ago.

Soon the Avatar was lost in thought, feet dangling as she sat precariously one of the countless rooftops overlooking the city that she'd devoted herself to protecting. Korra was so deeply lost in thought that she almost fell off the building in surprise when her girlfriend sat down next to her, "So this is what you do in your free time..." Asami said as she settled herself, shooting Korra a concerned look.

Once the water tribe woman had recovered from the shock, she shakily asked "h-how did you kn-know where I was?" Korra's breath still ragged from almost coughing up a lung when her girlfriend showed up.

The hieress looked at her matter of factly, eyeing the still smolder joint between Korra's calloused fingers. "One of the tenant in the building complained about the smell, and management called me after they realized who you were..." Asami trailed off.

Korra took another pull on the joint, watching the tip flare in the growing shadows of evening feeling the smoke fill her lungs. Holding it out, Korra gave the raven haired woman a politely questioning look "do you...?"

"What??? No, I...Never. I don't do _DRUGS_ , my father raised me better than that" she said reproachfully

Korra sighed deeply "Well I... I do... And for the record my father did an amazing job raising me! In fact he was the one who introduced me to smoking, honestly without it I don't know how I would have survived..."

With dawning horror, Asami realized that Korra had began silently crying. She reached out to hug her, but was shocked when Korra pulled away, looking very hurt and lonely.

"Is that really what you think? Do you think that drug use is immoral and that anyone who uses them are less than human?" Korra almost screamed at her, tears streaming down her face.

The inferno that was building in her was suddenly extinguished at the absolutely shattered look on her girlfriend's face.

"No, I don't think you're anything other than an amazing human being and the woman that I love, I just don't understand why you're escaping like this, and I want to help..."

Korra shook her head at her girlfriend's words, trying to find the words to make her understand. "Sami, I don't smoke to bury my pain, I do it to give myself the energy to face my problems head on." She paused, taking another slow drag, then continued "fireweed helps me accept everything that's happened to me, do you remember how broken I was after Zaheer poisoned me? It was while I was in the south pole that my father introduced me to medicinal smoking. After seeing me suffering for weeks, crying myself to sleep, too nauseous to eat, a shell of my former self, he finally gave in one night and shared his stash with me. I nearly coughed a lung up that first time, but it was felt like a miracle, I was still broken but I felt like human again for the first time since it had happened. I could actually stand to be out of bed, I could stand to be around other people, and my pain didn't leave me exhausted from the slightest exertions. That's why I smoke, I'm carrying around enough physical and emotional trauma to send any sane person howling to the madhouse, and without it I doubt I would have been able to keep from being buried by my pain."

Korra looked up into Asami's startling green eyes, grateful to see them filled with compassion. She wrapped her girlfriend in a tight hug and let her cry on shoulder, gently stroking her flowing raven hair. 

"Oh Korra, I'm sorry that I was so judgemental... I was raised in a very strict household that left no room for exploration, and being constantly in the spotlight as the heir to a vast company gave me little personal freedom. My father did a terrible job raising me, and he instilled in me the belief that anyone who used drugs of ANY kind were weak and that if I was ever caught that he would make my life a living hell." Asami wiped away her tears, somehow still managing to look like she walked out of a fashion magazine even when she was a wreck.

"I understand Asami, having a world of responsibility dropped on your shoulders when you're young is huge burden." she lifted the joint, offering it to Asami "Now do you want me to introduce you to my good friend Southern Lights?".


End file.
